Smuin Contemporary Ballet | San Francisco’s Contemporary Ballet

Never Standing Still

Curated collaboratively by Artistic Director Amy Seiwert and Artistic Director Emerita Celia Fushille, our 24/25 Season honors the past with a masterpiece from our founder, Michael Smuin, while embracing the future. We continue to innovate with Company and world premieres from Jennifer Archibald, Trey McIntyre, Matthew Neenan, and Amy Seiwert. Remarkable storytellers, these choreographic visionaries inspire by continually pushing the boundaries of what contemporary ballet can be.

ByCHANCE Digital Replay (1)

Digital Replay: ByCHANCE

March 21-31, 2025

Portrait Images - 800x880

Dance Series 2

April 25 - June 8

Roche Event 2025 (1)

Roche Winery Event

May 18, 2025

smuinballet

🥂 Last night we celebrated our 31st annual Gala

🥂 Last night we celebrated our 31st annual Gala — what a night! Thank you to everyone who joined us and made the evening such a success. We can’t do what we do without the support from our audiences and generous donors, and we are so grateful to have the ability to continuously share our art with you. #smuinballet

Photos by Maximillian Tortoriello Photography

ByCHANCE is offered as a Digital Replay from March

ByCHANCE is offered as a Digital Replay from March 21-31, 2025. Tune in at your convenience, as many times as you like, during that window, from the comfort of home!

This world premiere ballet, choreographed by Jennifer Archibald, debuted as part of Dance Series 1 in Fall 2024. Fun fact: Jennifer was recently featured as the cover story in @dancemagazine. Tickets available today, link in bio!

📸 Company Artists in ByCHANCE, choreographed by Jennifer Archibald for Smuin Contemporary Ballet. Premiered September 2024.
🎥 Video by @raptproductions
🪡 Costume Design by @scurveapparel
💡 Lighting Design by Mike Oesch
🎶 Everything is in Everything, by Roger Goula

We’ve been in the studio with Artistic Director

We’ve been in the studio with Artistic Director Amy Seiwert, who’s creating her 13th ballet for Smuin this spring! Come check out her latest work as part of Dance Series 2, running April 25 - June 8 across the Bay Area. Tickets on sale today, link in bio.

📸 Amy Seiwert #inthesmuinstudios, photo by Maximillian Tortoriello.

Join us next Saturday, March 22, for Amy Seiwert’s inaugural Gala as Artistic Director! Featuring a one-night-only performance and exclusive auction packages, Smuin’s Gala 2025 promises to be a wonderful evening celebrating the Company as it continues to shatter preconceptions of ballet. Funds raised at our Gala help underwrite Smuin’s ongoing role as a vibrant hub for pioneering works, as well as a sanctuary for creativity and exploration, where artistic expression flourishes.

📌 Join us at the San Francisco Design Center, Saturday March 22, 2025, from 5:30–9:30pm. (101 Henry Adams Street • San Francisco) • Purchase your ticket today, link in bio!

🍽️ Dinner provided by McCall’s Catering & Events • @mccallssf

📸 Photos from our 30th anniversary gala, by Maximillian Tortoriello.

Wishing a very happy birthday to the dazzling Tess

Wishing a very happy birthday to the dazzling Tess Lane! Tess has been dancing with Smuin Contemporary Ballet for seven years and brings her personality to every role and rehearsal. We all love working and performing alongside her, and she makes us all shine. ✨

Tess trained at South Bay Ballet in Torrance, CA, and performed Robert Kelly’s Summertime at the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, MI. She began her professional career apprenticing with Sacramento Ballet, and then joined California Ballet Company in 2013. She danced in the National Choreographers’ Initiative in 2017 and 2018 and joined Smuin in 2018.

We hope her day is as wonderful as she is!

🎉🎂🥳

Photo Credits:
1. Tess Lane and Brandon Alexander in Smuin’s “Fly Me to the Moon”. Photo by Chris Hardy.
2. Tess Lane and Mattia Pallozzi in Rex Wheeler’s “Sinfonietta”
3. Tess Lane and Smuin Contemporary Ballet Company Artists in Amy Seiwert’s “Renaissance”

🎂March 7, 1994 — Today is the 31st anniversar

🎂March 7, 1994 — Today is the 31st anniversary of our first performance! Happy Birthday to Smuin Contemporary Ballet! We celebrated with a photoshoot to promote our 25/26 season! #smuinballet

✨ Gala Chairs John Konstin and Lee D. Baxter, Sm

✨ Gala Chairs John Konstin and Lee D. Baxter, Smuin’s Board of Trustees, and the Friends of Smuin Host Committee, invite you to celebrate Artistic Director Amy Seiwert’s inaugural Gala with dinner and cocktails, a live auction, and a specially curated performance by the artists of Smuin Contemporary Ballet.

📌 Join us at the San Francisco Design Center, Saturday March 22, 2025, from 5:30–9:30pm. (101 Henry Adams Street • San Francisco) • Purchase your ticket today, link in bio!

🍽️ Dinner provided by McCall’s Catering & Events • @mccallssf

📸 Gabrielle Collins and Jace Pauly, photo by Chris Hardy.

We can’t let #BlackHistoryMonth end without ackn

We can’t let #BlackHistoryMonth end without acknowledging those who have given their hearts, talent, and excellence to Smuin Contemporary Ballet. To those who have helped to shape our organization into what it is today, we are honored to amplify your voices within our community as we continue to create and grow together.

📸 1.) Company Artist Ricardo Dyer, with Terez Dean Orr in Renaissance, choreographed by Amy Seiwert.
📸 2.) Choreographer Jennifer Archibald, creating ByCHANCE at Smuin (2024)
🎥 3.) Video by Ben Estabrook.
📸 4.) Smuin alumn Brandon Alexander with current company artist Dominic Barrett in Tupelo Tornado, choreographed by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa (2024)
📸 5.) Choreographer Osnel Delgado, creating the Turntable at Smuin (2022)
🎥 6.) Video by @jettison_creative
📸 7.) Company Artist Dominic Barrett with Tessa Barbour in Tupelo Tornado, choreographed by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa (2024)
📸 8.) Choreographer Darrell Grand Moultrie, creating Salsa ‘Til Dawn at Smuin (2023)
📸 9.) Vincent Avery, Wardrobe Supervisor with Smuin Contemporary Ballet for over 20 years.

Smuin Contemporary Ballet Company Artist, Cassidy

Smuin Contemporary Ballet Company Artist, Cassidy Isaacson, talks about the piece she choreographed for Smuin’s “Choreography Showcase”, which performed February 14 - 23 at Smuin Center for Dance in Potrero Hill.

The live show was sold out, but you can still get access to the virtual version at the link in our bio!

Video Credit:
Smuin Contemporary Ballet Company Artists Cassidy Isaacson, AL Abraham, Jacopo Calvo, Mengjun Chen, Ricardo Dyer, Yuri Rogers, and João Sampaio rehearsing for “Choreography Showcase” at Smuin Center for Dance. Video by Ben Estabrook. Edited by Amy Seiwert. #inthesmuinstudios

Our final performance of the Choreography Showcase

Our final performance of the Choreography Showcase is this afternoon, featuring 10 premieres by 10 company artists! This is one of our favorite programs of the season, and we are so grateful to our audiences for supporting these creative voices! While every show is currently sold out, you can still check out our Digital Replay!

Filmed in our studios, this year’s Choreography Showcase is offered as a Digital Replay from now until March 2, 2025. Tune in at your convenience, as many times as you like, during that window, from the comfort of home.

Featuring choreography by Company Artists AL Abraham, Tessa Barbour, Jacopo Calvo, Maggie Carey, Julia Gundzik, Cassidy Isaacson, Marc LaPierre, Shania Rasmussen, Yuri Rogers, and Brennan Wall.

📸 1.) Smuin Company Artists in Her cadence, choreographed by Cassidy Isaacson. Photo by Robert Suguitan.
📸 2.) Smuin Company Artists in Party Zute, choreographed by Marc LaPierre. Photo by Robert Suguitan.
📸 3.) Smuin Company Artists in Here’s To You, Harvey, choreographed by Tessa Barbour. Photo by Robert Suguitan.
📸 4.) Smuin Company Artists in Un Paysage Choisi, choreographed by Julia Gundzik. Photo by Robert Suguitan.
💡 Light Design by Mike Oesch

The Choreography Showcase continues all weekend lo

The Choreography Showcase continues all weekend long, featuring 10 premieres by 10 company artists! While every show is currently sold out, you can still check out our Digital Replay!

Filmed in our studios, this year’s Choreography Showcase is offered as a Digital Replay from now until March 2, 2025. Tune in at your convenience, as many times as you like, during that window, from the comfort of home.

Featuring choreography by Company Artists AL Abraham, Tessa Barbour, Jacopo Calvo, Maggie Carey, Julia Gundzik, Cassidy Isaacson, Marc LaPierre, Shania Rasmussen, Yuri Rogers, and Brennan Wall.

📸 1.) Smuin Company Artists in Recto Verso, choreographed by Brennan Wall. Photo by Robert Suguitan.
📸 2.) Smuin Company Artists in The Singer and The Song, choreographed by Maggie Carey. Photo by Robert Suguitan.
📸 3.) Smuin Company Artists in A Good Story and Some Good Soup, choreographed by Yuri Rogers. Photo by Robert Suguitan.
💡 Light Design by Mike Oesch

The Choreography Showcase continues all weekend lo

The Choreography Showcase continues all weekend long, featuring 10 premieres by 10 company artists! While every show is currently sold out, you can still check out our Digital Replay!

Filmed in our studios, this year’s Choreography Showcase is offered as a Digital Replay from now until March 2, 2025. Tune in at your convenience, as many times as you like, during that window, from the comfort of home.

Featuring choreography by Company Artists AL Abraham, Tessa Barbour, Jacopo Calvo, Maggie Carey, Julia Gundzik, Cassidy Isaacson, Marc LaPierre, Shania Rasmussen, Yuri Rogers, and Brennan Wall.

📸 1.) Smuin Company Artists in A Gentle Heart, choreographed by AL Abraham. Photo by Robert Suguitan.
📸 2.) Smuin Company Artists in Itaca, choreographed by Jacopo Calvo. Photo by Robert Suguitan.
📸 3.) Smuin Company Artists in Ever Changing Selves, choreographed by Shania Rasmussen. Photo by Robert Suguitan.
💡 Light Design by Mike Oesch

It’s opening night!!! We’ll be wearing berets

It’s opening night!!! We’ll be wearing berets tonight in honor of Harvey Lynch, Smuin patron extraordinaire and wonderful friend to us all, who passed away in late January. It’s going to be a great show. See you all soon! 🧑‍🎨

Smuin Contemporary Ballet Company Artist, AL Abrah

Smuin Contemporary Ballet Company Artist, AL Abraham, talks about the piece he has choreographed Smuin’s upcoming “Choreography Showcase”, February 14 - 23 at Smuin Center for Dance in Potrero Hill.

Tickets are SOLD OUT, but you can get access to the virtual version. LINK in our bio!

Video Credit:
Smuin Contemporary Ballet Company Artists AL Abraham, Tessa Barbour, Julia Gundzik, Cassidy Isaacson, Tess Lane, and Brennan Wall rehearsing for “Choreography Showcase” at Smuin Center for Dance. Video by Ben Estabrook. Edited by Amy Seiwert. #inthesmuinstudios

Happy, happy birthday to Smuin Contemporary Ballet

Happy, happy birthday to Smuin Contemporary Ballet Company Artist, Shania Rasmussen. 💕Shania is a simply beautiful dancer and person, and we love getting to work with her every day. We hope her day is as wonderful as she is!

Originally from Denver, CO, Shania Rasmussen received her dance training at Colorado Ballet Academy and the School of American Ballet. She began her professional career with Sacramento Ballet in 2014, and toured to The Joyce Theater and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival with Amy Seiwert’s Imagery. In addition to performing, Shania enjoys choreographing. She presented several works for Sacramento Ballet’s choreographic showcase and created unique works for stage and film for Capital Dance Project. Outside of dance, Shania is passionate about theater acting, writing, and composing music.

📸Photo Credits:
1. Shania and Marc LaPierre in Smuin’s “The Christmas Ballet”. Photo by Maximillian Tortoriello.
2. Shania and AL Abraham in Matthew Neenan’s “The Last Glass”. Photo by Chris Hardy.

Wishing a very happy birthday to Smuin Contemporar

Wishing a very happy birthday to Smuin Contemporary Ballet Company Artist, Julia Gundzik. Julia is someone you fall in love with the moment you meet her. She’s earnest and brilliant, and it all shows up when she performs.

Originally from Oxford, OH, Julia began her pre-professional training at the Washington School of Ballet and Cincinnati Ballet Academy. From 2021 to 2023, she danced with Cincinnati Ballet II. In 2023, she danced with Moving Arts, performing soloist roles in two world premieres, Intra by Christian Denice and Yin Yang by Gabriel Lorena. In 2023, Julia was promoted to New Dancer at Cincinnati Ballet, skipping a rank in the company. Julia is also a passionate dance educator and choreographer, and ran many of the children’s rehearsals for Cincinnati Ballet’s “The Nutcracker”. This is Julia’s first season with Smuin.

Photo Credits:
1. Julia in Amy Seiwert’s “Please Come Home”. Photo by Maximillian Tortoriello.
2. Julia and Dominic Barrett in Matthew Neenan’s “The Last Glass”. Photo by Chris Hardy.

Happiest of birthdays to Smuin Contemporary Ballet

Happiest of birthdays to Smuin Contemporary Ballet Company Artist, Gabrielle Collins! She’s a technical powerhouse who almost literally sparkles when she hits the stage. She’s like the dancing version of a diamond, and we’re so pleased she was born! 🎉

Gabrielle Collins is from West Hartford, Connecticut and began her pre-professional training at the Hartt School. In 2014, she was a New York City finalist at the Youth America Grand Prix and won the gold medal at the Connecticut Classic for both the senior female and pas de deux categories. From 2014-2017, she danced with Atlanta Ballet II. Gabrielle is an alumnus of the Ballet Program at Jacob’s Pillow where she was featured in Yury Yanowsky’s World Premiere at the opening gala in 2016. She joined Tulsa Ballet II in 2017. In February 2020, Gabrielle performed the title role in Septime Webre’s Carmen with Dayton Ballet. In 2020, Gabrielle joined Cincinnati Ballet under the direction of Victoria Morgan. Gabrielle is thrilled to continue her career with Smuin Ballet.

📸Photo Credits:
1. Gabrielle in Rex Wheeler’s “Excelsis.” Photo by Maximillian Tortoriello.
2. Gabrielle in Val Caniparoli’s “Tutto Eccetto Il Lavandino.” Photo by Chris Hardy.
3. Gabrielle with Jacopo Calvo, rehearsing for Jennifer Archibald’s “ByCHANCE.” Photo by Maggie Carey.

Smuin’s Choreography Showcase opens this week, F

Smuin’s Choreography Showcase opens this week, February 14, at the Smuin Center for Dance in Potrero Hill. We are so grateful to our audiences and patrons already, as nearly all of the performances are sold out! We can’t wait to share this program both in person and virtually! To tune in virtually, check out the ticket link in our bio!

🎥 Smuin Contemporary Ballet in rehearsals for the Choreography Showcase, featuring 10 new works by 10 of our company artists. Videography by Ben Estabrook. #inthesmuinstudios

Calling all Young Professionals! Join us for Smuin

Calling all Young Professionals! Join us for Smuin’s Choreography Showcase, an intimate performance series featuring new works by ten incredible Company Artists.

🕰️ February 20 @ 7:00pm
📍 Smuin Center for Dance, Potrero Hill.

🍸 Post-Show Drinks, 9:15pm onward at Blooms Saloon in Potrero Hill.
After the performance, join us at @bloomssaloon to unwind and connect with your fellow YPC members and some of the artists of Smuin. Enjoy complimentary drinks on us!

🎟 Reserve Your Spot Now, and purchase a ticket to the 2/20 performance! No tickets are needed for Post-Show Drinks, but please RSVP — link in bio!

📸 Photo of Company Artist Yuri Rogers, by Chris Hardy.

Smuin Contemporary Ballet Company Artist, Julia Gu

Smuin Contemporary Ballet Company Artist, Julia Gundzik, shares some insights about her experience choreographing for Smuin’s upcoming “Choreography Showcase”, February 14 - 23 at Smuin Center for Dance in Potrero Hill.

🔗LINK in our bio to get your tickets. (They’re selling FAST!)

Featured Smuin Contemporary Ballet Artists:

Julia Gundzik
Gabrielle Collins
Tess Lane
Maggie Carey
Tessa Barbour
Yuri Rogers

Videography by Ben Estabrook. Filmed at Smuin Center for Dance. #inthesmuinstudios

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We thank all our generous sponsors for their support. Sponsored in part by SF Grants for the Arts, General Fund Portion of the San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund and National Endowment for the Arts.

Foulke Correa

Beverly M. Folger Foundation

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